Oliver was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma or DIPG. This nine year old's cancer is inoperable or incurable because his cancer cells are spread like pepper in his brain, making it hard for doctors to get it all out.More >>

WATERLOO (KWWL) -

Oliver Palmer, a Waterloo boy with an inoperable brain tumor, has passed away.

According to the family's blog, Oliver had taken a turn for the worse earlier this week. He was not eating or drinking much and was sleeping almost 20 hours a day.

He was at the hospice home near his house.

Oliver was well-known around the Cedar Valley because of a number of benefits held by friends and family. Oliver was diagnosed just before Christmas in 2009, exactly one year later 50 people including Santa and the Waterloo Fire Department showed up outside his house to sing Christmas carols. Oliver was also a Kid Captain at an Iowa Hawkeyes game in 2011.

Last year, Oliver's family put out a public appeal for cards to help Oliver celebrate his birthday. He received more than 800 cards.

Oliver's visitation will be this Sunday from 4-8 p.m. at Hagarty-Waychoff-Grarup Funeral Service in Waterloo. His funeral will be at 11 a.m. on Feb. 20, at the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints in Cedar Falls.